A Valentine’s Day snowstorm struck central Illinois on Friday, dumping 5.5 inches of snow in Springfield and causing numerous traffic accidents throughout the area.

City, county and state police reported handling multiple snow-relate crashes, though no exact numbers were available Friday evening.

Illinois State Police in Litchfield were investigating a fatal pickup-train accident northeast of Mount Olive in Macoupin County that claimed the life of a 26-year-old Litchfield man.

Nicholas H. Rayphole, a passenger in the pickup, was pronounced dead at the scene of the 11:30 a.m. accident. The driver, Brian L. Irwin, 30, also of Litchfield, sustained what police described as serious injuries and was taken to Memorial Medical Center in Springfield. His condition was not available.

State police could not say for sure if the snow or icy roads played a role in the fatal crash, but it was among the factors being investigated, said Trooper Jeffrey Yenchko, public information officer for the ISP in Litchfield.

Friday’s snowstorm that started about 7 a.m. was supposed to be over by noon, but it continued into the afternoon hours. The additional snow made travel difficult, and authorities south of Sangamon County also dealt with ice on the roadways.

“It was kind of like an ice skating rink,” Yenchko said of conditions in the Litchfield area. “We’d pull out one car, and then two others would go off the road.”

Yenchko said troopers handled a rollover accident near Staunton that resulted in at least one person sustaining non-life-threatening injuries.

In the Bloomington area, a chain reaction of crashes on Interstate 55 involving dozens of cars and trucks left several people injured and halted traffic for hours because the roadway was littered with damaged vehicles.

The Pantagraph in Bloomington and WGLT radio reported that 17 people were taken to hospitals and one person was critically injured.

The crashes started at about 11 a.m., when several vehicles struck a tractor-trailer that had slid off the road. Bloomington Fire Chief Mike Kimmerling said as many as 40 vehicles were badly damaged and dozens more sustained at least some damage. The accidents extended for about 4 miles.

The fatal crash in Macoupin County occurred on St. John’s Road just east of Old Route 66 as Irwin was heading west and attempted to cross a rural Norfolk Southern railroad crossing with his 1997 Chevrolet pickup.

Yenchko said there were no automatic crossing arms at that location.

Friday’s 5.5 inches brought Springfield’s seasonal total to 40.2 inches, just about 5 inches short of the city snowiest winter on record (45.1 inches in the winter of 1981-82). The average snowfall by Feb. 14 for Springfield is 15.6 inches.

And Saturday could add to this year’s total, with the National Weather Service predicting a 40 percent chance of snowfall after noon. Little accumulation is expected, though areas to the north of Springfield could get more.

Page 2 of 2 - Due to Friday’s snow, Springfield officials declared a snow emergency to be in effect between 11 p.m. Friday and 7 a.m. Saturday. Parking on snow emergency routes is prohibited during that time, and motorists face the possibility that their vehicles will be towed.

Drivers are reminded to watch for snow-removal crews and allow them room to do their work.

The Henson Robinson Zoo will be closed today and Sunday due to icy, snow-packed walkways. The docent class and Zooper Edventure class will be held as scheduled.

The Associated Press contributed to this report. Contact John Reynolds: 788-1524, john.reynolds@sj-r.com, twitter.com/JohnReynoldsSJR